Fidelitas Wines

Preview of the Summer Preview Tasting

For the team at Fidelitas, July and August are the calm before the storm.  At the winery we have bottling, racking, and barrel-sample tasting, but nothing compared to the long and now looming days of harvest.  In the tasting rooms we have a few parties to throw and summer traffic brought upon by the warmer weather, but still relatively mellow compared to Fall club release.  In anticipation my dad and I have been gradually going through and popping open some of these upcoming releases and comparing notes with other winemakers to see how things are progressing and have been pleasantly surprised with the balance and age-worthiness of these wines coming off the extremely hot '14 and '15 vintages.

Optu & Magna members make sure to make your Preview Tasting reservations so you get the chance to taste all of these before they're gone -- I'll see you there!

Note, the "Club" flag indicates which wines we expect to be club exclusive releases

 

2016 The Canyons Vineyard Malbec

Late July Release | 96 cases | $50

Good news! You won't have to wait til the fall to get some killer Malbec.  Some not so good news, is that we only made 4 barrels worth so it won't be in the tasting room long.  Compared to our "Red Mountain" and "Quintessence" releases, the Canyons reminds me most of the high-elevation Argentenian Malbecs that I've worked with which aren't as fruit forward as Washington and have more pronounced spicy and sweeter-pyrazine roasted pepper characteristics.  All 96 cases are sourced from a single block on the edge of the Canyon that runs through the middle of the vineyard - we bottled this micro-climate to share with you.  This is the second-edition, we made an initial lot of 96 cases in 2014.

The Canyons Vineyard, Block 11 Malbec - Harvest 2018

 

2018 Quintessence Sauvignon Blanc

September | 88 cases | $50

This is our third edition of Quintessence Sauvignon Blanc.  It's no surprise that Sauv Blanc excels in the same growing regions around the world as Cabernet Sauvignon.  We decided to add one to the lineup in 2016 and model it after other world-class Cabernet houses which took their palates and winemaking techniques from Cabernet and apply them to making the best single varietal Sauv Blanc possible.  Since 2016 we've used the Vicard Ovonum barrels which because of their unique shape gives better lees mixing and adds specific texture to the wine that we love.  So much so that we decided to leave the juice in barrel all Summer turning it into a September instead of April release.  For our SB lovers out there thanks for your patience! Some good news, we've doubled the production this year (we bought another egg) and we promise the wait will be worth it.

Charlie with his freshly picked bins of 2018 Quintessence Sauv Blanc

 

2016 Estate Vineyard Cabernet

September | 232 cases | $80

Winemaking and grapegrowing can be the ultimate test of patience.  A wise winemaker that I used to work for who's family had been in the wine business for 100+ years, used to think in matters of decades and generations vs. quarters and vintages.  There's something about being at the mercy of mother nature year after year, and having a product that you pour your heart and soul into that people may not end up enjoying for another 10+ years down the line that gives you a whole other level of patience.  As a young winemaker I try to keep this same mentality when looking at our Estate.  For those of you keeping track at home, we planted in 2008, made our first Estate Cab bottling in 2012.  Each vintage since then we to try to keep our heads down and make the best wine possible, and each year when we go through and taste through the barrel samples our patience is rewarded as these young vines mature and create wines with more depth and complexity than the year prior. For the 2016 vintage we've used our same blend of Clones 2 and Clone 6 from the 2008 planting with 100% of the different lots fermented in oak vessels, another signature of the Estate Cab: 50% 2 Ton Open Top Oak Tank, 40% 500L Roller Barrel, and 10% 500L Upright Barrel.  The combination of the growing site, the specific clones we've selected, and oak fermentation techniques give the Estate Cab a rich and silky tannin structure that sets it apart from the rest of our lineup.

Charlie overlooking the Estate at the 2019 Red Mountain Cab Summit. Red Mountain sunsets seem to last forever because there's nothing West but the Yakima Valley to block the sun and is an important factor to why we consistently get vintages with the most sunlight and heat compared to other growing areas in WA.

 

2016 Red Mountain Cabernet

September | 626 cases | $55

We've produced a Clone 8 (dubbed the Washington clone, chances are if you have a "Columbia Valley Cab" you're drinking Clone 8) dominant Red Mountain Cabernet since 2010 with the same vision in mind, take those famous "traditional Red Mountain Cabernet characteristics" and put them in a bottle.  It's hard to explain exactly what we mean by this but I think we did a mighty fine job in those original 2010 tasting notes: "Fidelitas releases the 2010 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon as it’s first varietal Red Mountain Cabernet using a blend of top vineyards from Red Mountain. The nose offers rich aromas of dark cherry, black currant, vanilla and a dusty herbal quality, rising from a deep hued ruby tone. The lively palate extends additional notes of black raspberry, clove, black licorice and a very subtle gamey quality, all settled within present yet balanced tannins and a lengthy finish." We now a few site specific cabernets with their own unique characteristics like Ciel du Cheval or Quintessence, but with this wine we're taking different vineyards and qualities of different barrels that we like and in a sense making a blend of cabernets.  I think this the perfect bottle to share with friends to introduce them to Red Mountain because it 100% Cab, which the AVA has become most known for, is delicious no matter how long you decide to cellar it, and has a definite sense of place.

"Red Mountain vs. the World" tasting at RM Cab Summit, 2019 comparing Red Mountain to other world-class Cabernet growing regions.

 

2016 Montis Red Wine

September | 336 cases | $50

Montis, Latin for mountain, is an exciting new product named for the Mountain that we call home and the source of a bunch of different growing partners for this bottling.  In 2016 with the warm Spring and heavy fruit set, we had more high-quality fruit come into the winery than expected.  We've listened in the tasting room for years now and realized that we have tons of members who like blends best and wanted to share a club-exclusive version with y'all.  Plus, our winemaking team saw a creative opportunity to create a blend without varietal or vineyard limitations to go along with all of the different single varietal, single vineyard bottlings that we've become known for.  Here's what we came up with:

Vineyard breakdown: 53% Quintessence Vineyard, 18% Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, 14% Red Mountain Vineyard, 8% Red Heaven Vineyard, 3% Kiona Vineyard, 2% Shaw Vineyard, 2% Blackwood Canyon Vineyard.

Varietal breakdown: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 6% Malbec.

 

2016 Old Vines Merlot

September | 142 cases | $60

Our Old Vines Merlot was first dreamt up in 2015 when we were able to get access to the Kiona Estate 1975 Merlot planting.  In 2016 we've ran back the same blend of original Merlot plantings at Kiona and Ciel du Cheval, the founding partners of Red Mountain.  To me, this wine is the most Old World in style and is much less fruit driven than our Red Mountain Merlot for example.  Instead of bright red strawberry and bing cherry we get dried fig, rose, dark chocolate, and scorched earth balanced with a lovely front-palate acidity.  Charlie has known since the early 90's that Washington was a world-class Merlot growing region and we believe this wine would stand up to some of the famous right-bank Bordeaux houses (someone want to arrange this tasting for us? We'll bring the Old Vines).  This wine was a fan favorite of the 2018 July Preview Tasting, so make sure to order some ahead of its release to get a bottle of Red Mountain history.

Kiona '75 Merlot, Harvest 2018

 

November is Ciel du Cheval Month

The famous Ciel du Cheval Barn, Harvest 2018

 

Ciel du Cheval is one of the most well-known vineyards in the state of Washington and has been a staple of our lineup since the 2006 Ciel du Cheval Cab which was our first 100% single vineyard Cab from Red Mountain.  Since 2006, as our relationship with Jim Holmes developed and we were able to get access to more fruit, and in 2012 Ciel du Cheval became a staple of our lineup with us releasing 5 different vineyard designate bottlings.  It's amazing that a single vineyard is able to produce such exceptional fruit quality that these varietlas which are usually blending components are able to be complext enought to stand on their own.  When we first introduced the Cab in 2006 we were sourcing from all over the Columbia Valley and the Ciel du Cheval bottling, which was our only Red Mountain wine at the time, stuck out as the most concentrated and tannic one in the bunch.  Our love for wines like this lead us into sourcing more Red Mountain fruit each vintage to where now the role of Ciel du Cheval has shifted a little.  In a sense it's now the elder statesmen of our lineup showing more subtle old-vine complexity and elegance where you have to go searching for these nuances especially when compared to vineyards like Quintessence, Fidelitas Estate, and Blackwood which are anything but subtle - we've had to adjust our winemaking techniques and barrel selectionsa accordingly to accentuate these "CDC" characteristics.  Keep that in mind when tasting through the gamut of Ciel du Cheval wines at the Preview Tastings and see if you can pick out those similarities.

More info on Ciel du Cheval:

• Fidelitas Blog: Micro-Blocks of Ciel du Cheval
• Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Website
• Ciel du Cheval Everyvine.com Page
• Red Mountain Timeline from Kiona's Website
• Great Northwest Wine: Washington's great vineyards: Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
• Read up on our previous Ciel du Cheval releases​

2016 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet

November | 384 cases | $75

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Aging: 75% New French Oak

Oak Fermentation: 32% 500L Roller Barrel, 18% 500L Upright Barrel

 

2016 Ciel du Cheval Red Wine

November | 290 cases | $65

50% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc

Aging: 67% New French Oak, 8% New American Oak

Fermentation: 8% 500L Roller Barrel

 

2016 Ciel du Cheval Merlot

November | 143 cases | $60

100% Merlot

Aging: 50% New French Oak, 17% New American Oak

Fermentation: 17% 500L Roller Barrel

 

2016 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Franc

November | 140 cases | $60

100% Cabernet Franc

Aging: 66% New French Oak

 

2016 Ciel du Cheval Petit Verdot

November | 96 cases | $55

100% Petit Verdot

Aging: 50% New French Oak, 25% New American Oak

Fermentation: 50% 500L Roller Barrel, 25% 500L Upright Barrel

Featuring our 2016 CDC Cab vs. some of our neighbors, Red Mountain Cab Summit 2019

 

2018 Red Mountain Optu White

November | 350 cases | $35

We've yet to put together the final blend for our 2018 Optu White but we're extremely pleased with how the barrel samples are progressing.  If the 2018 Red Mountain Semillon is any indication than it's going to be an excellent vintage for whties.  We can tell you that it'll be the classic ~60/40 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Bordeaux Blanc style blend and will be released just in time for Holiday celebrations.

Team Fidelitas: Thank you for being a Member

When I started with Fidelitas in 2008, my job was solely to work directly with the members of the Fidelitas Wine Club. Over the years, I’ve had the joy of interacting with so many of you on Red Mountain, in Seattle (remember that?), in Woodinville, and lots of time on the phone with those of you who live a little further away. I know dog’s names, locations of vacation houses, and your mom’s favorite beverage (which isn’t always wine). Members remember when I got married on Red Mountain and my kid’s names, but I still manage to confuse many on where exactly I live in the state.

Over the years, my job has evolved, and I don’t get to work with everyone on the individual level as often (shout out to Skye and Michelle on the Club Team who get the pleasure now). However, one thing remains the same since we as a company committed to the Club back in 2008: everything we do is for you. We make products designed with the Club in mind, many of which were requested by you. We’ve opened tasting rooms, hosted unique and educational events, and created a special Club just for people who live out of state.

Our vision for 2020 and beyond is to continue this trend and be even better at it. We have plans in the works to enhance the guest experience in all arenas of the Club and are so excited to share them with you. In the meantime, we’d love to know how you’re doing. Drop us a note, tag us on Instagram (@FidelitasWines), pick up the phone, or come visit us in the tasting room. We’d love to hear all about it.

Thank you for being a member. We truly appreciate your being faithful, loyal, and true to Fidelitas.

Jess Zander, Fidelitas GM

Magna Dinner, June 2019

Happy New Year!

Dear Friends of Fidelitas:

2018 proved to be a banner year for Fidelitas. We recently completed our 19th vintage in Washington and have had a retail presence on Red Mountain now since May of 2007. Our first planting of the Fidelitas Estate Vineyard took place in 2008 and the future continues to look great for us.

In 2018 we released a few new products that proved to be highly sought after by you, our friends.  Specifically, we released our Old Vines Merlot and our Quintessence Malbec. In the future, we will continue to offer these products along with a wide range of wines from what I believe to then finest AVA in Washington that being Red Mountain.

Looking forward to 2019, and the release of the 2016 vintage reds, we will introduce three more new wines. A new red blend that we will call Montis is a Red Mountain specific blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with a tiny bit of Malbec. We realize the popularity of blends and will add this blend to the Optu Red Wine and Ciel du Cheval Red Wine. This is a very exciting wine from some of my favorite vineyards, with great concentration and layers of flavor.  We will also offer two new wines from Quintessence Vineyard: a varietal Merlot and a clonal specific Cabernet Sauvignon (ENTAV 169) in very limited quantities. These new vineyard specific wines show what an outstanding vineyard site Quintessence is.

We continue to try and find ways that we can continue to improve the wines that we make for Fidelitas. Continuous improvement is a constant theme for our winemaking team made up of me, as well as Hillary Sjolund and Mitch Venohr. Areas that we are looking at include fermentation vessel size and shape, as well as the use of more wood during primary fermentation. We also continue to look at fermentation itself and how we can up our game and take our wines to new heights.

The Estate Vineyard from Fidelitas continues to progress with time. We now have nearly 12 acres of vineyard planted to five different red varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc.  Although we were able to get a small crop off our new planting in 2017, from the second leaf, 2018 was our first sizeable crop. Every single block was kept separate during fermentation and we are evaluating the wines as they continue to age. Clonal Cabernet Sauvignon is big theme for our Estate Vineyard with six different clones planted. We are very happy with what we are seeing so far and how we will mesh these wines in to our current lineup. Many thanks to Dick Boushey and his entire team who farm this property on a daily basis. We could not ask for a better partner.

I cannot say enough about how great our staff is at Fidelitas. The people that interface with you as customers on a daily basis see this and share it with me whenever I have a chance to talk with you at our tasting rooms or many events.  I feel very blessed to have such a great team lead by Jess Zander.

I would like to simple say thank you to each and every customer that continue be so supportive of Fidelitas.  Needless to say, we could not exist without your Faithful, Loyal & True support.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Member tips for picking up in Woodinville

First off I'd like to apologize to our members who have their wine shipped or pick up at our Red Mountain tasting room - I promise I'm not forgetting about you and thank you for being loyal members!  But as our Woodinville tasting room manager, I figured I'd speak to my strengths.  Even if you aren't one of our members who picks up their wine in Woodinville there still should be plenty of good information in here.

Club-Only Weekends

• Every time we release wines to our Optu members (i.e., February, April, September, and November) we are club-only in the Woodinville tasting room the following 2 weekends - both Saturday and Sunday.  If we do have new releases to pour this is when we'll feature them in the tasting room.  For example, in September we had a little bit of our 2015 Estate Cabernet still in stock after club allocations were processed and we poured it in the tasting rooms September 15-16 & 22-23 and ended up selling out.
• Keep in mind, these weekends end up being some of our busiest of the year. Other options:
  • Come early!  We open earlier than most tasting rooms in the area: 11am every day.  Start your day at Fidelitas with some Optu White instead of mimosas.
  • Friday afternoons are a great time to pick-up as well.  Leave work a little early to beat the weekend rush.
  • Pick up during the week - we're open 11-5 everyday of the week

Preview Tastings

If you haven't been to one of our Preview Tasting you need to check them out.  There's one in January and one in July - available in Woodinville and on Red Mountain.  Taste through the future releases and choose your club allocations as your tasting the wines.  It's the best way to make sure you get exactly what you prefer for your allocations. 

Preview Tasting is scheduled for January 13th in Wodinville at the Hollywood schoolhouse (a 2 minute walk from our tasting room) and January 13th on Red Mountain - keep an eye out early December for the email to make your time slot reservation

Plus, you may get the chance to meet our rockstar winemaker:

• Pay attention to the # of cases produced - many of our wines are limited production and they'll end up selling out before they're released.  Because they are so limited, these preview tastings are the only time we are able to pour our wines before they are released.  These wines from last year were sold straight to our club members:

• Even if you can't make it to the preview tasting log in to our website to make your selections.  You can change your mind later (just make sure to do it before the advertised deadline) but it doesn't hurt to choose as soon as possible to make sure you get access to our most limited releases.
• `Call/email our club team (509.554.9191 - club@fidelitaswines.com) or come visit us in the tasting room - we have a good idea of which wines are going to sell out fast

Other

Check out our recently updated Wine Club FAQ page

Next time you're in the tasting room ask us if we have anything else open - we often have club-only pours available!

If you're finding it difficult to make it out to Woodinville we also offer flat-rate shipping on club allocations + we recommend shipping it to your business address so there's always someone there to sign

Follow us on istagram, facebook, and check our events calendar which is updated frequently

On busier days there is parking available behind Brian Carter - parking area highlighted - red arrow is a path that leads to the parking lot:

 

5 Things We Are Grateful For

1 – Our Members

Fidelitas fans made this year one to remember.  We launched a brand-new way for our members to buy Fidelitas wines; allowing the Club to select from our newest releases and create their own, unique allocation.  Through the loyalty and dedication of our Club, we have now (nearly!) sold out of every wine we released in 2018.  These faithful, loyal, and true members push us to keep ‘making our best wine yet’ as we look for new ways to surprise and delight them in vintages to come.

Magna Dinner, Red Mountain, July 2018

Summer in the City, Seattle, August 2018

2 – Charlie

Charlie is what makes our jobs easy.  Obviously, he makes amazing wines, and that is the best part.  But he’s also just an amazing guy to work for and work with.

This year, Charlie was awarded 2018 Vintner of the Year by his peers at the Auction of Washington Wines.  This recognition gave credit to the 30+ harvests he has committed to making wine in Washington.  Charlie’s effort and dedication, along with that of his peers, is what continues to advance the Washington wine industry.

Charlie Hoppes, Honorary Vintner, and Marshall Edwards, Honorary Grower, at the Auction of Washington Wines, August 2018

Skye, Jess, Will, Charlie, and Michelle at the AWW Picnic and Barrel Auction, August 2018

 

3 – Red Mountain

We call this tiny AVA home.  At just 4,040 acres, with nearly every plant-able acre now under vine, this is a really special place.  Charlie often remarks that there are only a few growing regions in the world where you can stand in one spot and see the whole AVA, block by block.  The unique terroir, devoted growers, and outstanding neighboring wineries, have established Red Mountain as one of the most premium wine producing regions in the world.

Fidelitas Estate Vineyard on Red Mountain, September 2018

Estate Vineyard Dinner, September 2018

4 – Team Fidelitas

We’d be nowhere without our staff!  On a very personal level, I am so grateful to have such a dedicated, positive, and all around great team representing Fidelitas every day.  They tell our story and share the wines with our customers, sweep the floors, pack boxes, haul wine, make dinner reservations, throw parties, and SO MUCH MORE.

Team Fidelitas Staff Vineyard Tours, July 2018

Team Fidelitas at the Mariners, June 2018

Team Fidelitas of the Future: Charlie and Brynn, January 2018

5 – Wine

Seems simple enough.  As a winery, you make wine, you pour wine, you sell wine.  But our wines were somehow extra special this year and I am thankful for that. 

10 of the 19 wines we released in 2018 were sold exclusively to our members in Club allocations, meaning they never even made it into the tasting rooms.  We had exceptional releases such as varietal Malbec from Quintessence Vineyard, intense Cabernet from Blackwood Canyon Vineyard, old vine Merlot from some of the oldest blocks on Red Mountain, found in Kiona and Ciel du Cheval Vineyards, and of course our own Fidelitas Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Washington wine is growing.  Red Mountain wine is growing.  But, Charlie’s longstanding relationships with growers allows us to select fruit from specific blocks to make exceptional wines for our members, and this is what sets Fidelitas’ wines apart.

Fidelitas 2018 Releases, start to finish!

Cheers, Charlie!

This week, we are celebrating Charlie as the Auction of Washington Wines’ 2018 Honorary Vintner.  And, in the midst of our excitement and party planning and wine coordination, Charlie is keeping on as his steady self, preparing for another harvest in Washington…his 31st to be exact.

I recently celebrated my 10-year anniversary with Charlie and Fidelitas.  It was so exciting for me.  It was the longest job I had ever held, and I know that there is limitless growth and opportunity working with Charlie.  However, I now realize that my decade is nothing in comparison to his three in Washington.  And if I feel so inspired by my 10 years, there have to be so many others out there who have been influenced and taught by Charlie over the years. 

Here is a bit of what Team Fidelitas had to say about Charlie:

I first met Charlie while working for Bob and Roger Gamache.  I had recently completed my degree at WSU, and was eager to start my winemaking career.  Charlie was always supportive and encouraging, and now 12 years later we are getting ready to start our 9th harvest together.  Along the way I have had an amazing opportunity to not only learn about wine and winemaking, but more importantly how to be a good husband, father, and member of the community.   I will always be thankful for all that he has shared with me.  - Mitch Venohr, Associate Winemaker

There is so much to say about Charlie as a person and not just his talent as a winemaker. Having the blessing of knowing and working for him for almost eight years has given me a perspective from behind the scene as to his character; who he is on the inside.  I have observed Charlie’s kindness to others, his friendly easy-going nature always respectful to a situation and people around him.  He is so very generous of his time and knowledge for others and he has a funny bone that comes out with wit and ease.  He also lives his life with integrity, true to his beliefs inside and out before family, friends, and coworkers. It is my honor to work for this compassionate man.  - Kathleen Batchelder, Team Fidelitas

I met Charlie in 2010, sitting across a picnic table at a little restaurant in Benton City, where I boldly convinced him that I could build a laboratory in his new winery. From that moment on, Charlie has supported all of my crazy mad scientist experimentation and winemaking ideas. He understands my passion for learning and lends me the platform to develop new techniques that drive our winemaking style. I often get an eye roll and a laugh when I tell him, "I have an idea" and lead him to the white board in my office. Then he says, "ok, lets try it...."  - Hillary Sjolund, Associate Winemaker

From hearing Charlie's drive to make 'the best wine yet', to traveling to various wine regions together for education, and learning how connected he is throughout the industry, or sharing beautiful bottles of wine over great meals, every experience with Charlie is awe-inspiring. I feel so honored to be a part of his Fidelitas family. Some of my favorite memories are from spending time with Charlie during harvest on Red Mountain last year, drinking our morning coffee, and listening to him talk about all of the careful and meticulous processes that he puts into each wine we make. Charlie's passion, paired with his overwhelming kindness and humbleness is inspirational for us all.  - Michelle Marsh, Fidelitas DTC Manager

It's been a pleasure working with Charlie over the years, he has showed me time and time again, how meaningful and supportive the wine industry can be. His kindness and generosity reflect in every aspect of his business. It's also eye opening to work for someone who constantly has nice things to say about his peers, he is always positive and shows us daily that we can't do our jobs without the support of everyone who works in the wine industry. It all starts from the ground up!  Charlie has also taught me how to enjoy wine and champagne (to never get a house palate) and to always stop and enjoy the simple things in life! His general passion for a nice bottle of wine, sharing a meal with family and friends over great conversation is what it's all about!  - Chelsea Larson, Fidelitas Red Mountain Tasting Room Manager

When I first met Charlie he had been named Winemaker of the Year by Seattle Magazine just one year prior. Now, 5 years later, he has been named Honorary Vintner by The Auction of Washington Wines. In these past few years working with him I have learned that there is no one more deserving of these amazing titles than Charlie himself. I'm lucky enough to witness his profound love for Washington wine, Fidelitas, and his family. It's been an honor to say I've learned from Charlie and because of him, there is no other industry I would rather work in.  - Skye Dissette, Fidelitas Club Concierge

I thank my dad, Charlie, for laying out the path for me and the many second generation Washington winemakers.  His work ethic, thousands of hours spent in the vineyard and winery, determination to never cut corners, commitment to making the best wines in the world, and relentless joy for wine-making are incredibly inspiring.  Here's to another 30 years of making wine in our home state!  - Will Hoppes, Fidelitas Woodinville Tasting Room Manager, Charlie’s kid, and second generation Fidelitas

My own personal story began more than 10 years ago, when my interview with him consisted of driving around Red Mountain vineyard sites in his dusty pickup.  Listening to him that afternoon, I saw his passion for making wine in Washington state and knew instantly that I had so much to learn.  Since then, he has become a part of my family, a baby-whisperer for my girls, a mentor, and someone I look forward to awesome new ventures with.  I used to dread when he called me during harvest or blending because I knew he was going to ask about making some crazy wine.  But now I see that it is all a part of the amazing experience of working with Charlie.  There is no recipe, no consistency…just something we call modern craft winemaking that promises to still produce ‘our best wine yet’.

 

 

Celebrating with Faithful, Loyal, and True

“We are gathered here today, celebrating Jess and Ben, at a winery who’s name not only translates to ‘faithful, loyal, true’, but at a winery who’s owner, and our host tonight, embodies these words.  And I cannot think of a better way to start a marriage.”  Those are words that my uncle spoke during a toast at my wedding.  And while I’ve pondered the meaning of the name ‘Fidelitas’ many, many times, the weight of it really struck me as I was sitting there, surrounded by the most special and important people in my life, marrying my husband.

That was 8 years ago this month, and while I seem to be attending more baby showers than weddings these days, wine is still my favorite gift for newlyweds.  Here are my favorite three ways to share Fidelitas:

A bottle for now and a bottle for later.

This one is super easy.  Grab a cute, reusable tote (I love my BUILT bag) and add a bottle of Red Mountain Malbec, which can be enjoyed this summer with BBQ, and a bottle of Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which could be opened on the lucky couple’s 5 or 10-year anniversary.

Large formats.

This is kind of similar, in that you’re encouraging people to hang on to the wine to open for a special anniversary down the road.  Even better, grab a couple big bottles and have friends and family sign well wishes right on the bottle with a metallic sharpie.  My brother and sister-in-law did a 750ml, 1.5L, and 3L, (for one year, five years, and ten years) used this as their guest book, and then have opened the bottles with friends in the years since. (pro note: contact us for current availability on large formats. we may be able to find something amazing!)

Club memberships.

A Wine Club Gift Membership is a great way to give a gift that will last a while.  We can give you a gift certificate to include with your card now, and then will send bottles to the couple throughout their first year of marriage.  If they live locally, they can come out to the winery to pick up or join us at our upcoming events!

 

Let our Club Concierge team help you put together a wedding gift that celebrates faithful, loyal, and true, and a happy wedding season to you all!

New Recognition for Fidelitas' 2015 Cabernet Sauvignons

"Charlie Hoppes continues to knock it out of the park with his Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux blends. These are ripe, sexy, yet balanced wines that are always a joy to drink." - Jeb Dunnuck

 

 

94 Points - 2015 Fidelitas Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate from Fidelitas, one of the flagship releases from the estate, spent 22 months in 71% new French oak. Its deep, inky purple/ruby color is followed by an impressive bouquet of ripe plums, black cherries, tobacco, and leafy herbs. Picking up more chocolate and graphite characteristics with time in the glass, this full-bodied, rich, nicely concentrated effort has fine tannin, good purity of fruit, and nicely integrated acidity.

preorder for September release

94 Points – 2015 Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Quintessence (100% Cabernet aged in 83% new French oak) offers more tobacco, spring flower, and violets characteristics, as well as a full-bodied, pure, balanced style on the palate. With lots of blue fruits, ripe tannin, and terrific purity, it's going to keep for 10-15 years. It's another high-quality, balanced wine from this estate.

preorder for September release

94 Points – 2015 Blackwood Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Another 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from this estate, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Blackwood Canyon (22 months in 71% new French oak) offers a plumper, more sweetly fruited, sexy style. Blackcurrants, blueberries, scorched earth and Asian spice notes all give way to a full-bodied, plump, rounded, yet still structured effort that has considerable depth and richness, all while not being heavy. It too will keep for 10-15 years. While I found all these 2015s to be outstanding wines, they're certainly more similar than different.

waitlist only

94 Points – 2015 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

From one of my favorite vineyards on Red Mountain, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Ciel du Cheval spent 22 months in 29% new French oak. Black cherry, blueberries, violets, spring flowers, and lavender notes all emerge from the glass and it has a rich, rounded, voluptuous style on the palate. Nicely balanced, with sweet tannin, it's another rocking wine from Fidelitas to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.

preorder for November release

93 Points – 2015 Optu Red Mountain

The 2015 Optu Red Mountain is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. It's another inky-colored effort that gives up plenty of graphite, tobacco, and black cherry/currants styled fruits. It has lots of Cabernet Sauvignon character, the savory tannin of the Red Mountain terroir, and a great finish.

now available

92 Points – 2015 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

The classic 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain (100% Cabernet aged 22 months in 80% new French oak) offers pure, elegant notes of crème de cassis, crushed flowers, and violets, with a medium to full-bodied, silky, nuanced style on the palate. Less powerful and tannic than some of the other cuvées here, it still has beautiful purity and well-integrated acidity, and is a beautiful wine that's going to drink well for 10-15 years.

preorder for September release

The Importance of the Custom Club

A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to sit on a panel in front of industry peers to discuss the benefits of “Custom Clubs”.  That is, I chatted about the Fidelitas Wine Club and the hows and whys of letting our members select their own Club allocations.  This is a big deal!  It’s breaking away from the traditional Club model of “we choose wines and send whatever we want to you” that has been followed since the dawn of Wine Clubs.  And while all of the boring (inventory) details may not be best suited for this blog, I think that there are a few key points worth sharing:

Selecting what is best for your cellar

Is your vertical of Optu Red Mountain growing nicely?  Wish you had more Merlot and less Cabernet?  Allowing members to create their own combination of wines in each allocation gives people the chance to take home the wines that they really want to shape their cellar.  We are releasing 3 -4 brand new wines at each Club release, and members can select the exact quantities of what they are going to enjoy the most.

It’s important to note here that some members told us they don’t want the additional work of selecting Club allocations.  I get it.  Day to day life offers so many choices that sometimes you want wine to be the easy part.  So – we will always have a pre-selected allocation as well that means great wines with no effort.

Winemakers get to have more fun

This is maybe the best part.  Both for the members, and for us at Fidelitas.  If we asked every Club member to take the exact same Club allocation, Charlie would be stuck making large quantities of the exact same wine in every vintage.  The problem is, Charlie loves to make small lot quantity wines each year based on what comes in to the cellar.  Following a custom club model means that he gets to create wines that are maybe 50 – 140 cases total, and members get to select these wines for their shipments.  It’s a win/win, really.

Convenient ship windows and special pricing

We first started offering custom clubs to our out of state members.  Knowing that they are often dealing with the inconvenience of having wines shipped when the weather may be too hot or too cold, and needing to have an adult signature for delivery, we wanted to design a Club just for them.  Our Electus Club is designed to ship wine only in moderate temperature months, and offers additional discounts and complimentary shipping when 6-bottle shipments are rounded up to a case.

Try before you buy

Just last weekend, we launched our “preview tastings”.  Two times per year, Custom Club members are invited to taste through the line up of upcoming releases and build their allocations at that time.  We love letting people experience the wines before they make their selections, and also found that it was a great time to just connect with members and help them learn the ropes of our new allocation system.

Designed with the Club in Mind

I recently sat down with my staff to think about the real benefits of being a Club member, beyond just what we print in the Club brochure.  Every member of Team Fidelitas contributed their ideas, and we came up with over 2 pages of notes.  From that exercise, one of the items that stuck out to me most is that we truly make wines just for Club members.

Now – that is an easy thing to say for some.  “Club-exclusive” is a common thing to see at wineries.  However, I realized that it is so much more than that at Fidelitas.  One of part of my job is to work with Charlie and design how our releases will look up to 3 years in advance.  Already, we are talking about which wines we want to make from grapes that will be harvested this upcoming fall.  That means, we are having discussions about how much fruit to buy 5 months from now to make a wine that won’t be released until 3 years from now.  We are looking at spreadsheets, and forecasts, and weather patterns, just to determine what wines we’ll make for just our Club members.  This isn’t an after the fact decision.  Your Club allocation is truly chosen by Charlie 3 years before you will take it home.  Over the course of those 3 years, Charlie is ensuring that wine in your allocation is “one of the best we’ve ever made” (one of our favorite Charlie-isms).

Our 2013 Red Heaven Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is exactly one of those wines.  We make this wine in exceptional vintages, where the fruit is just perfect to make a vineyard designated wine.  After much fussing, we settled on making just 96 cases - not even enough to include in a Club shipment, but still special enough to make sure that it is a Club only wine.  Designed, starting in spring of 2013, with the Club in mind.  

Charlie, walking the vines in Red Heaven Vineyard.